Insights from the 2024 CASE Europe Annual Conference in Manchester ✨

The ToucanTech team recently headed to Manchester for the CASE Europe 's Annual Conference to connect with advancement professionals from all across Europe!

As always, it was a week full of meaningful conversations and valuable insights with no shortage of practical sessions and lots of opportunity to connect with both familiar and new faces.

Here are some highlights and key themes from Amy Da Costa and Matheus Garcia :

A thoughtful look at the future of advancement

As 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of CASE as an association, a central theme of the conference was reflecting on the past, present and future of the advancement industry.

There were many interesting thoughts on what the next 50 years of the industry will look like, and how the industry will continue to cement its status as a recognised profession.

The importance of storytelling and showcasing impact in fresh, innovative ways has never been greater. And as we look to the future, resonating with the next generation of major donors will become essential.

The next wave of philanthropy is expected to evolve beyond traditional naming opportunities like buildings, endowments, and prizes, demanding more creative and personalised approaches to donor engagement.

Lessons on redefining social mobility

Hashi Mohamed ’s plenary talk, a major highlight of the conference, offered a nuanced perspective on social mobility. As a refugee who overcame significant odds to become a barrister, Mohamed’s journey underscores the real complexity of social mobility.

Hashi emphasised that it’s not just about financial success but about creating opportunities and support systems early on in a student’s life. The talk challenged the conventional wisdom that hard work alone can bridge the social mobility gap, and instead highlighted the need for a broader definition that includes the timing of opportunities and the influence of societal structures like unelected institutions in the UK.

Achieving team buy-in for alumni relations and a faculty-based engagement strategy

A session led by Niels Decoster , Rachel Bray and Andy Damas talked about how to effectively manage stakeholders and get team buy-in to drive alumni engagement.

They highlighted the importance of shared responsibility and aligning alumni initiatives with stakeholders’ needs. There should always be a focus on securing real buy-in across teams to turn everyone into an internal champion for the project. This requires clear communication and materials that demonstrate how the project will help contribute to the university's overarching goals.

We loved the tip about managing expectations by securing quick wins and showing immediate benefits.

Kerry Balkwill and Orla McColm from the The University of Edinburgh shared their innovative approach to alumni relations that focuses on decentralisation.

By assigning dedicated alumni officers to specific faculties, they’ve been able to create more personalised and effective engagement strategies.

We particularly loved the tips to communicate regularly and log everything in your CRM! 

Thanks to CASE for another successful conference and to everyone who stopped by to speak with our team.

See you next year! 👋

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